740.0011 EW (Peace)/5–348: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Legation in Hungary
451. Following are approved amendments to Annexes A, B and C to Appendix C SWNCC 244/7 (Deptel 358 Apr 5, sent also to Sofia as 227, Bucharest 244, rptd London for FonOff as 1168 Moscow 367 Rome 954).1
[Page 331]Specific Guidance.
10. US Head of Mission shld assume positive rather than defensive attitude toward his responsibilities for verifying treaty execution of military clauses. He shld keep fluid approach to treaty violations in each instance, bearing in mind US Govt may wish to protest and publicly condemn violations of treaties in order keep before world opinion continued efforts of Satellites and USSR to evade obligations under treaty, whether in letter or in spirit.
11. US Head of Mission shld continue efforts to obtain official information on military subjects from Govts to include (a) present strengths, location and composition of armed forces (b) plans for implementing treaty articles including proposed tables of organizations and equipment. US cannot consider ex-enemy countries have fulfilled obligations under treaty unless this info has been supplied and subsequently approved by US.
12. Para-military organizations, such as gendarme, frontier guards or militia, etc., if their present military character unchanged shld be classified as military organizations and either required to be included in strengths of armed forces or reorganized on non-military basis, information of Which shld be included in 11 (a). Protests re para-military forces shld not be undertaken, however, unless specific instructions received from Dept. All info and evidence obtainable re para-military forces shld be reported.
13. US reserves for future the right to request through normal diplomatic channels and without reference to other diplomatic missions any and all info necessary to assure compliance with terms of treaty. However, because satellite Govts interpret final clauses so as refuse military info on grounds requests are not received from three Heads of Mission acting in concert the US Head of Mission in requesting such info shld until directed otherwise act in concert with Brit and Sov colleagues. US does not wish at this time to enter into dispute leading to arbitration with ex-enemy Govts on interpretation of “acting in concert” article, but desires instead to set precedent in Balkan countries for acting in concert in those cases where no other course of action is effective.
14. In re obligation of US Head of Mission to assure himself of proper fulfillment of military clauses, which implies right of inspection, not only because US is signatory of treaty but also since Govt agreed to afford said three Heads of Missions “any assistance which they may require”. US interprets treaty to mean inspection of this nature shld be made “acting in concert” as provided in final clauses. When inspection re military clauses is considered desirable US Head of [Page 332] Mission shld request colleagues to act in concert with him. However, he shld consult Dept before taking such action.
15. When evidence of inadequate treaty compliance has been obtained re military clauses, it shld be referred to Dept for instructions.
16. Because action on treaty matters in one ex-enemy country affects that in another and since US action in Balkans can be used in Italy as a precedent either by US or Sovs, there shld be maximum coordination between Legs Sofia, Bucharest, Budapest and Emb Rome and between these Missions and Dept. In matters of importance, Embs Moscow and London shld also be informed.
17. There shld also be maximum coordination of action between US and UK Heads of Mission since it is US desire to align its policy closely with UK in implementation of military clauses.
Sent Budapest as 451, Bucharest 285, Sofia 274, rptd London for FonOff 1577, Moscow 491, Rome 1263. Above amended is SANACC 244/9.
- On April 22, 1948, the State-Army-Navy-Air Force Coordinating Committee approved the amendments to SWNCC 244/7, September 10, 1947 ( Foreign Relations, 1947, vol. iv, p. 21) presented in this telegram. The revised version of SWNCC 244/7 was circulated as State-Army-Navy-Air Force Coordinating Committee document SANACC 244/9, April 23, 1948 and is included in file 740.0011 EW (Peace)/4–2648.↩